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Topic: Gatoraid (sp?) v Water (Read 3864 times)

Recently rode with a guy who wouldn't drink anything but Gatoraid (sp?) I always drink water and have never had problems but I just wondered if Gatoraid is a) any good at all,b) was he right to just drink Gatoraid and it really did helped him.c) should it just be used maybe at the end of a ride to replenish lost salts etc.

Tastes like all the other sugary drinks and such unusual colours put me off.

Depends. During extended exercise, you do need to replace both calories and electrolytes. You can get both either from a sports drink or food, or from a combination of both. How much of both you need depends on the duration of the exercise, the intensity of the exercise, your body chemistry, and the temperature. For durations less than two hours, water is all that most people need. Above that, you’ll need to replace both calories and electrolytes if you expect to keep going without decreased performance.

Whether you should use food or a sports drink or a combination depends on your preferences and what your stomache can tolerate. Everyone is different.

You actually get more electrolytes from food than sports drinks. So if you bring energy bars or salted nuts or bananas etc with you, you are getting a higher electrolyte level. In that case drinking water is just fine but if you don't have anything to snack on while you ride, then sports drinks are better than nothing. The key is to hydrate and keep electrolytes up.

Despite their claims, Gatorade (especially the ThirstQuencher) is notoriously deficient in electrolytes. The Endurance Formula comes closer to what is needed in that department. I still won't drink it though, because the glycemic index is too high for me. For just the electrolytes, adding a quarter teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt and an eighth of a teaspoon of Morton's Lite salt (which is not lite at all-- it's all salt, but half of it is potassium chloride and half is sodium chloride) to each quart of water gives you the right amount of sodium and potassium to replace what you lose in sweat, as well as some other trace minerals. (It's much easier to get the required potassium from Morton's Lite than it is from bananas.) Another thing you lose in sweat though is calcium, so try to supplement that too.

I tried Gatorade on a trip and quickly got tired of it. It seemed like glorified expensive sugary water to me. I use Cytomax or Noon now, and they seem to work pretty well. But I think the real deal is healthy meals with lots of water/juice/etc.

I know some who swear by V-8 juice for electrolytes. Personally, I don't dig the laste and don;t want the acid in my sotmach. Heed makes some good products, but if I were touring for a long time I don't think I would want to tote the stuff along.

I usually prefer just plain old water. A few years ago I was running a little low when we hit a little country store in Vermont. I guess they didn't have water because I remember looking at GatorAid and Arizona neither of which I would normally go near. A friend told me to get YooHoo and of course I laughed. He said look at the ingredients or maybe it was the nutrition label which i did. The stuff wasn't too bad (nutrition-wise). Still prefer plain old water but if I get stuck again, I'll consider it again.

The only things I object to are the high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated soybean oil. But as the facts list 0 trans fats, it must be a small enough amount that I'm not really bothered by it.

Thanks everyone, yea I'm very aware about food, hydration etc I just wondered what people who actually do long distances thought about Gatorade. Well now I know - not too much! So figure I wont be swapping it for water.

Try day tours on the usual food. Then, try a quart of 50%-50% freshly extracted carrot-celery juice. Forget the canned / bottled mutations. Use quality$$$ extractor. Do it yourself. Notice that nice even flow of energy. I sure as hell did.

Hi Westinghouse - unable to try out your cocktail as about to fly into USA and set off, but sounds great. I'm convinced now that Gatorade is not for me, never had trouble in the past with plain water - just wondered about Gatorade that's all.

For those of us who would rather drink something other than water, all the time, try Vitamin Water. (there are those who will disagree) Tastes better than Gatorade. I stretch it out with water. I like to replenish electrolytes and sugar for energy. It keeps me going and I do not cramp up in the Florida heat. Most people don't eat enough while riding. Like they say, when you really need to eat and drink, it is too late.

Gatorade is a marketing success story. Buying it will not make us better bikers any more than wearing a Gatorade jersey.

Only by carefully monitoring your performance and experience can you begin to figure out what your body needs in terms of nutrients and supplements under the wide variety of riding conditions we see while we are touring. Even if you decide these engineered products are appropriate for you, you still don't need to spend lots of money. Inexpensive recipes and low-cost substitutes for almost all of the popular test tube and engineered sports foods are available with a bit of research.

Personally, I like Nancy Clark's advice (as seen in Adventure Cyclist magazine and in her sports nutrition book) and there's a new book described in the current issue of AC called "The Athlete's Plate" by an "organic performance nutrition consultant" named Adam Kelinson.

I use the sports drink provided by organizers on charity rides and tours if the exertion level or ambient temperatures rise above my personal trigger. That trigger keeps moving as I get older.